Frosted Torment (Marked Mortals Saga #1)

Chapter 31

CHAPTER 31

I searched Vallen’s face, battling the burning tears that threatened to spill from my eyes. My chest tightened like a vice grip.

“You’ve gone against the entire order of the universe, and to fix it, I have to die?” I screeched, the ear-splitting scream echoing through the cave.

Vallen’s expression stayed impassive, his eyes revealing nothing. It only fueled my fury as my words bounced off the rocky walls. I spun on my heel and stormed away, boots crunching on loose stones.

Behind me, the clank of metal reverberated through the cavern as Vallen strained against his chains, reaching for me. The force of his struggle sent a tremor through the cave, causing me to almost lose my balance. Baz and Lex stumbled beside me, quickly finding their balance on the shaky ground.

Vallen yelled at me, demanding my attention. “You have the power to fix this, Noa! Fix my mistake and save everyone. ”

I froze mid-step, his words punching me in the gut. The notion of saving humankind seemed absurd coming from the lips of the one who had stripped me of the very essence of my humanity. My hands clenched into fists at my sides as I turned back toward him, meeting his cold gaze head-on.

“You ripped out my soul without a second thought.” Bitter laughter snaked up my throat. “You’ve made human existence meaningless for me. If I make this right, I won’t even get the chance to live.”

The rawness in my throat was undeniable. Baz and Lex’s gazes bore into my back, but all I cared about was confronting this infuriating angel before me. With a surge of rage, I punched the wall next to Vallen’s face; rocks crumbled all around us.

“You won’t be able to contain them, you know?” He threw his head back with an ominous laugh. “That power you hold is knowledge of creation—before and after. Everything in between too. You’re a vessel housing them, and they will consume you until you die.”

Challenging him while hiding my trembling hands, I thrust my wrist forward again. “But I have Callum’s essence. Besides, this bracelet has soldered itself to me.”

“Callum’s essence will disappear,” Vallen taunted with a sinister smile. “As the last remaining descendant, that bracelet is meant to attach itself to you—it’s a conduit for performing the ceremony and returning that knowledge to the Veil.”

Baz squared his shoulders defiantly. “How long does she have?”

“I’m parched,” Vallen replied before coughing and licking his cracked lips.

Baz spun on his heel only to whirl back and punch Vallen squarely in the mouth. “How much time does Noa have until she dies—and we’re all screwed!”

Vallen spat a drip of blood on the ground and sneered. “A few days. A week,” he said. “I haven’t been able to keep track, but don’t worry, pup; once she gets her soul, neither of you will go to hell.”

“Shut up!” I rubbed my eyes with the heel of my hand. We couldn’t afford to waste any more time arguing with him. “He isn’t going to help because he’s locked up and we’re the entertainment.”

Vallen smirked, his eyes glinting with mischief. He lifted what he could of his wrist chained to the wall and pointed at my face. “I gave you the ability to hold the secrets, Noa, so you could stay alive. Don’t you want to be a hero?”

A gasp escaped my lips as I exchanged horrified looks with Baz and Lex. I shook my head and turned away, refusing to play his game.

“Maros is no ordinary demon,” Vallen insisted as he chuckled darkly. “He will devour and violate you in every gruesome way you can imagine.” Leaning back, he looked at the ceiling and began listing the ways out loud. “Rape. Sodomy. None of it is out of the question as he drains those secrets from you and destroys humankind.”

I turned, unleashing the entirety of my anger at him in the chest, screaming, “Die, asshole!”

A bolt of electricity slammed him back against the wall, but it didn’t injure him. He hung there, laughing at each of us. All I could do was back away, knowing there was no hope left. But it didn’t stop him from delivering the blows again and again .

“Maros will give what’s left of you to his pests so they can take turns,” Vallen added. “For eternity, Noa!”

His muscular form was hard as steel as he yanked the chains away from the wall to reach me. His voice cut through every inch of tension in the cave as it turned into a rumble.

“Water!” Vallen thundered across the cave.

I unsheathed a dagger from my thigh again and held it to his throat, clipping the skin right under his chin. “What do you mean, you want water? I’m not giving you another fucking ounce. So unless you want me to end your misery now, give me something useful.” My eyes flashed to Baz and Lex. “Or I will watch you burn alive, still chained to this fucking wall.”

Vallen flashed me a wide grin and barked, “Give me something, too.”

My eyes widened, but they never left his. I studied his face, hard and tired. Then, a quick breath slipped out of his mouth. He was ready for just as much vengeance as I was, and for what? Because he got a bad deal going in with a demon? He didn’t fool me.

“You want out,” I revealed with a laugh.

“The way you understand me, Noa,” he slurred and tilted his hips in my direction. “Makes me?—”

My hand moved on its own, reaching for his cheek as I brought down the dagger, leaving a deep cut. But my excitement turned to disappointment in an instant as the wound healed within seconds.

“Pig!” I hollered, slashing his face again even though I knew it wouldn’t hurt him.

He raised his hands, palms open and fingers splayed. “Oh, I wouldn’t dream of touching you, but think about Maros,” he reminded me. “I can help you and your little doggie stay out of hell.”

Lex began pacing in front of the pool. “Hell no.”

Baz’s fingers tightened around my arm, his eyes narrowing, while Vallen’s lips curled into a frustrated grimace. “I don’t like this. We came for answers, Noa, not to help him escape,” Baz whispered as he dragged me to the other side of the pool.

“Escaping isn’t an option,” Lex agreed, walking up to us.

Vallen’s chuckle reverberated through the damp, shadowy cavern, bouncing off jagged rock walls that seemed to close in on us. “I see your fear is getting the better of you.”

Baz scoffed, then turned to me. “We don’t have much time, Noa, and I don’t know about you, but I’m not in the mood to negotiate. We can still make it back to Dawson’s tonight.”

“Let’s get out of here and we’ll figure it out with O’Neil and the others. We have enough to go on,” insisted Lex.

“And how do we leave? We’re trapped.” I stared up at them and shook my head. “He has my soul and, according to him, if I die without it, Baz and I both go to hell.”

Baz eyed Vallen suspiciously, then took a deep breath before speaking to me. “You caught that, did you?”

I shoved his chest hard enough to make him stumble back. “You omitted that little detail,” I snapped, as the weight of our predicament pressed down on me.

“We’re signati,” he muttered, knowing he had to stay with me. He raked his fingers through his hair in exasperation. “And you’re right, we can’t leave until he tells us how,” Baz conceded.

“I can make him think he’s getting out,” I added with a wink and a tilt of my head .

“I’m here if things go south,” Lex chimed in with a heavy sigh. “But think fast.”

We separated and turned back to Vallen. “Since you’re the only one who can tell us how to get out of here, we’ll help you.”

“Honey to my ears,” he moaned with closed eyes, then licked his lips.

“You’re sick,” growled Baz. “If it weren’t for needing to save Noa, I’d rip your throat out.”

“And you should be playing watchdog back in the Veil!” Vallen bellowed, the sound echoing off the stone walls.

“This isn’t helping, Baz,” I complained as the tension in the cave grew. I needed to focus on the most important questions.

“Other than the typical ‘bad guy trying to take over the world’ scenario, why is Maros so damn invested in this?” Lex asked, eyes narrowing.

“It’s personal for him. Noa’s bloodline is old and sacred. He intends to end it and enslave all humans,” Vallen explained, his voice weary. “He’s wanted this for ages.”

“I knew it!” exclaimed Lex with a bittersweet smile.

“Except Maros and your brother bested you. There is no backup plan,” I bit out at Vallen, my irritation bubbling up.

“Concealing you and the bracelet was the backup plan, Noa.” Vallen rolled his neck, his gaze settling on Lex as he mouthed, “Water.”

“Good to know my waterboy skills are coming in handy,” Lex grumbled as he refilled the ladle.

“What makes this bracelet so special?” I asked while rolling my wrist back and forth, feeling the cold metal melded into my skin. “Jewelry doesn’t typically slice through skin and adhere to people’s bones. ”

Vallen took a deeper drink than we had previously allowed, then continued. “It’s a nail from the crucifixion.”

My arms fell to my sides as I gazed at him, examining his expression for any trace of dishonesty. “So you’re saying that there’s a real nail from the cross inside my body?” I questioned with doubt.

He nodded, stretching as if to emphasize his point, muscles appearing more defined under the flickering torchlight. “Water,” Vallen requested again.

I touched Lex’s arm for him to wait before allowing Vallen another sip. Walking up to Vallen, I studied him from head to toe. His once gaunt abdomen now showed slight indentations of muscle, and his hair looked thicker and fuller under the flickering torchlight.

Although it was still a tangled mess because his beard was overgrown with knots like twisted vines. Yet, despite everything, he definitely seemed stronger. Lex approached us with a ladle full of the pool’s liquid, and I slapped it out of his hand. The metal clanged against the rocky floor as the contents splattered everywhere.

“What the hell, Noa?” Lex shouted, raising his hands in question.

“You deviant son of a bitch.” I chewed the inside of my cheek as I tapped my foot impatiently. “That water isn’t water at all, is it, Vallen?”

“What are you talking about?” Baz stepped over and dipped his finger into the puddle, then placed it on his tongue after a moment of hesitation. “Holy shit! It’s how they’re draining you to feed the tree.”

Vallen’s face hardened as I stood so close that each breath he exhaled brushed against my eyelids like a whispering breeze every time I blinked.

“I see your backup plan now. You’re using us to help you regain your essence, then kidnap me to fulfill your ceremony.”

Without thinking, my palm connected with Vallen’s cheek in a resounding slap that echoed through the cave like a crack of thunder. He let out a guttural roar, but I didn’t back down. My fury bulldozed any sense of self-preservation with him.

Baz and Lex tried to pull me back, but as their hands closed around my arms, an unexpected surge of electricity erupted from my palms, sending them flying across the damp cave floor.

I raised my hand for another slap—but this time he was ready. His manacled wrist shot up and collided with the bracelet on my wrist in a blinding flash of light. Agony exploded through my arm as bones met unforgiving chains; our connection felt like touching raw nerves drenched in liquid fire.

The force of the impact sent me reeling backward, my body slamming against the rocky ground. I struggled to remain conscious, my head throbbing with each labored breath. A sudden clatter of metal on stone indicated Vallen’s chains had shattered. The ancient wards binding him were finally broken.

He slumped to the ground, no longer supported by the unyielding restraints. Darkness edged into my vision as I struggled to stay awake, clinging desperately to consciousness. It was a futile effort.

A sudden flurry of movement and raised voices pierced through the void. Baz’s worried face appeared above me, his features tight with concern as he cradled my head in his lap.

“Noa? Can you hear me?” Baz pleaded, his voice strained. “Please, stay with me. ”

I tried to answer, but my tongue felt leaden and uncooperative. My response came out as little more than a pained groan.

Baz turned to Lex, who hovered nearby. “We need to perform CPR. She’s not breathing,” he begged.

Vallen’s voice sliced through the chaos like a knife. “Move aside,” he ordered, his tone permitting no argument.

Baz and Lex hesitated, their gazes darting between the newly freed angel and me. I could sense their fear with the realization that they were in the presence of an angel of much higher authority.

Vallen lifted me with little effort while Baz and Lax stood by, their hands clenched at their sides. Even through the haze of pain clouding my thoughts, I couldn’t help but feel awe at Vallen’s presence. His power crackled through the air like a gathering storm.

His expression unreadable, Vallen gently brushed hair from my brow. “You have no idea what you’ve unleashed, Noa,” he murmured, his deep voice vibrating through my very bones.

As he turned to carry me in his arms, I fought against encroaching unconsciousness. I wanted to protest—to tell him not to touch me and that I could walk on my own—but my mind refused to form words. My limbs lay limp and unresponsive despite all efforts.

He walked toward the center of the cave, and I could see the pool of frigid water we had been letting him drink. Its surface was still and reflected the dim light from above. Vallen strode forward, his bare feet making no sound on the rocky ground.

We reached the edge of the basin, and his piercing stare met mine once again. “Trust me,” he whispered.

Even though every part of me wanted to resist, I found my head nodding in agreement. Then, Vallen plunged into the water, submerging us both in its icy depths. I gasped at the shock of it, the cold stealing the breath from my lungs, but Vallen’s grip on me never faltered, and I didn’t drown.

As we sank deeper, I felt a sudden warmth blossoming from the inscriptions on my wrist, its lines pulsing with a warm blue light. To my amazement, the glow began to spread, enveloping my entire body in a shimmering silver aura.

My vision blurred underwater, but as I looked up, Baz and Lex stood at the pool’s edge, their faces twisted in terror as they gazed at us. My lungs didn’t seem to need oxygen as I clung to Vallen’s back. Then, when we finished, his powerful legs propelled us upward.

As we broke through the surface, the water retreated, every drop flowing back into Vallen’s body. I blinked in astonishment as I took in Vallen’s transformed appearance. Gone were the matted hair and tangled beard, replaced by neatly trimmed locks and a well-groomed face.

His green eyes sparkled against smooth amber skin, once marred by years of grime and neglect. Vallen stood before us, beautiful once more.

Unconcerned by his lack of clothing, Vallen passed me to Baz and said, “Get her dry.”

Lex searched the hiking pack and pulled out a towel for me and a thermal blanket. He handed the blanket to Vallen, who quickly wrapped it around his waist with a grateful nod. Lex followed him to the other side of the cave to question him.

As I lay in Baz’s arms, he rubbed the towel along my skin, but my thoughts reeled from the events of the past few minutes. I felt a strong connection with Vallen, whether it was because he helped me or his essence was now part of me. Either way, I did my best to block out what that meant.

“You scared me, Noa,” Baz whispered. He cupped my cheek with his hand, then traced the curve of my face with his thumb.

A soft sigh escaped me as I sat up. “Sorry,” I coughed.

Vallen purposefully sat close to the spot where he had been chained. For a long while, he said nothing, his eyes distant as he watched us. I came to the conclusion that he didn’t want us to see him as a threat. At least, not yet.

Finally, he spoke, his voice low and measured. “Once Noa is warm and in new clothes, we’ll talk. For now, focus on her.”

Baz gave my hand a gentle squeeze. “Lex, do you have some extra clothes for her?”

Lex handed me a bundle of clothes and smiled. “How do you feel?”

“Okay, I think.” I raised my head and smiled. “Thanks.”

“Here,” Baz said, guiding me to a secluded spot behind a rocky outcropping. “You can change here.”

Baz left me alone, and with numb fingers, I untied my daggers and placed them on the ground. I stripped off my wet garments and pulled on the dry ones, relishing the feeling of dry fabric against my skin. Once dressed, I grabbed my belongings and rejoined them. I placed my daggers by my side as I sat down on the cave floor.

I turned to Vallen, who was watching me from across the area where his essence once remained. A flicker of relief crossed his face as he spoke. “We need to leave and get somewhere safe.”

I thought for a moment, my mind racing through the options, then it dawned on me. “My apartment,” I stated after a brief pause. “I doubt Vincent would check there again. ”

Vallen nodded with a firm expression, a touch of approval in his gaze. “Your apartment it is, then,” he declared. His focus on survival was notable in his tone.

Lex stepped forward, his face etched with concern. “Hold on, are we actually going to Noa’s apartment? If it’s not Vincent, then it’s Maros who can still track us.”

“Not since that bracelet fused to Noa’s wrist,” Vallen confirmed. “They’re likely frantic, wondering why they can’t find her.”

I looked at him, a sudden fear gripping my heart. “Is it possible to get the secrets out of me without...” I swallowed hard, then finished the thought. “Without killing me and Baz?”

Vallen’s eyes met mine, and for a moment, I saw a flicker of emotion cross his face. He knew I had a full understanding of the signati bond.

“We need to get off this mountain first. That’s our priority,” he instructed.